Work support



Nov. 24, 1953 c. A. MAUNDER WORK SUPPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1949 FIG].

Cunuoe ALFRED NmmbER Inveqlor IBy Jmw A ttorneyg,

Nov. 24, 1953 Filed Jan. 27, 1949 c. A. MAUNDER WORK SUPPORT s Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Attorn ys Nov. 24, 1953 c. A. MAUNDER 2,660,117

' WORK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 27, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cuauoe ALFRED NAU ERInvenIOr By @amwm Attorney Patented Nov. 24, 1953 WORK SUPPORT Claude Alfred Maunder, London, England, assignor to Masson Seeley & Co. Limited, London, England, a companyof Great Britain Application January 27, 1949, Serial No. 73,088

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 3, 1948 3 Claims.

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to means for supporting the work during printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like operations.

Difiiculties have for a long time been experienced in satisfactorily forming designs, lettering or other markings on an article by means of a printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like operation involving the pressing of a stamp, die, type or the like onto the surface of the work concerned unless indeed the surface of the work is parallel to the face of the said stamp, die, type or the like. The usual procedure in cases where the article is of conical or tapered form is to employ packing or the like on the bed of the press so that the article is supported in a position in which the surface concerned is disposed in the required position. This procedure is open to various objections .not only because of the difficulties involved in carrying out the required setting-up operation but also because a single setting-up operation will not sufiice for a series of similar articles unless indeed such articles are of a precision nature in the sense that they are of exactly similar shape and dimensions. If for instance the articles are in the nature of massproduced articles made from wood, such as brush handles, then it is almost certain that each individual article will require a different settingup operation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of and means whereby printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like operations can be quickly and easily carried out even when dealing with work of tapered, curved or irregular form and a further object is to provide simple, inexpensive and eflicient apparatus which greatly increases the range of articles which can be satisfactorily treated in a printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like machine.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided a work support suitable for use in conjunction with a press for carrying out printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like operations, said work support comprising a platform, jig or the like adapted to accommodate the work concerned, and a mounting for said platform, jig or the like, said mounting comprising an abutment with which said platform, jig or the like is adapted to make rockable engagement.

According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a method of subjecting an article having a curved or inclined surface to a printing, pressing, embossing, transfer or like operation wherein said article is positive- 1y but rockably supported so that under the application of pressure to said surface the article is moved automatically into a position in which the surface to be treated is disposed in a position, parallel to or substantially parallel to the surface of the'stamp, die, type or the like employed in carrying out the said operation.

The above-mentioned abutment may be permanently or removably located on the bed, platen or the like of a pressor it may be mounted on a base, plate or the like for application to such bed, platen or the like, and the abutment itself may be of various different forms and provide either for rocking movement of the platform, jig or the like about one axis only, e. g. an axis extending transversely or longitudinally with respect to the press concerned, or for rocking movement in all directions. abutment may for example comprise a bar of cylindrical or semi-cylindrical form or a series of coaxial bars of cylindrical or semi-cylindrical form, and in the latter case such abutment may be of spherical or semi-spherical form.

If desired resilient means, e. g. one or more springs, may be provided for resiliently urging the abovementioned platform, jig or the like into a position parallel to the support for the abutment.

The aforesaid abutment may itself be of a resilient nature if desired. Thus for instance one or more springs may be located between the abutment and the platform, jig or the like and/or between the abutment and the support therefor.

It is desirable to provide means for opposing any inadvertent lateral or longitudinal sliding movement of the platform, jig or the like with respect to the abutment and for this purpose the former may be provided with any suitablerecess, recesses or the like for engagement by the abutment and/or any suitable guiding means may be associated with the abutment-support for engagement by the platform, jig or the like throughout its range of movement, such guiding means being .adjustably mounted if desired so that various different platforms, jigs or the like can be accommodated and/or so that the position of the platform, jig or the like can be adjusted.

If desired, the abutment may be adapted to be engageable with the platform, jig or the like and/or with the support for the abutment in various different relative positions, so that the fulcrum formed by such abutment is brought under various different parts of the platform, jig or the like with or without change of the position of the platform, jig or the like'relative to the support atoresaid.

In the former case the In order that the present invention may be well understood, we will now describe, by way of examples only, some specific embodiments of the invention; with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work support embodying the invention, in assembled condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the work support of Fig. 1, in a partly dismantled condition;

Figure 2A is a sectional view of a part of the work support of Figs. 1 and 2, in assembled condition;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of a modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 3A is a sectional view of part of the embodiment of Fig. 3 in assembled condition.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 2A, a lower platen l of a press carries a plurality of spring retaining clips 2 secured to the platen l by setscrews 3. along the sides of a rectangle, and restrain from horizontal rotary or sliding displacement a platform 4. At corresponding points on the upper surface of the platen I and the lower surface of platform 4 are recesses or depressions 5, the surface of each recess 5 being in the form of a zone of a sphere. All the recesses 5 have the same radius of curvature. In one recess 5 of the platen l is placed a spherical ball 6 which also seats in a corresponding recess 5 in the platform 4, forming an abutment to support said platform, and the radius of curvature of this ball is eoual to that of the recesses 5. Compression sprin s 1 are disposed in bores 2 in the top surface of the platen I and su port the corners of platform 4, so that the platform is resiliently urged towards a position parallel to the platen.

It should be noted that the depths of recesses 5 should be s ch that a gap is left between facing surfaces of platen l and platform 4, as indicated at a in Figure 2A. This will be accomp ished if the central depth of each recess 5 is less than the common radius of curvature of e cesses 5 and ball 6.

The construction above described allows the platform 4 to pivot about the abutment formed by the ball the extreme angle of tilt ossible being determined. inter alia, by the dimension a and hence by the depth of recesses 5. Such pivotal movement may be about any hor zontal axis pass ng throu h the centre of the ball 6.

When the press whose lower p aten carries the above work support is to be used, for exam e. for embossing a series of cricket bats, a suitable cra le is atached to or rested upon the upper surface of p atform 4. Th s cradle wi l be adjusted horizontally so that the centre of the part of t e bat to be embossed lies su stantially vertically over the ball 6, which will be placed in whichever of the recesses 5 a pears most convenient. Upon lowering the embossing die of the press, if such die does not meet the bat face souarely, the first contact between die and bat will exert a turn ng moment. which causes rotation of the platform about ball 6 until the face of the bat is parallel on to the face of the die, when the turning moment will become zero and the rotation will cease. Continued downward movement of the die will then produce an even impression on the face of the bat. It will be seen that, as successive bats are embossed, variations of dimensions or shape between individual bats will not affect the quality of the impressions obtained as the support will always rotate automatically to the optimum position.

The retaining clips 2 are disposed It will be noted that although automatic adjustment of the position of the article being embossed is made, nevertheless a positive support is provided to oppose the pressure of the embossing die.

Figures 3 and 3A show a modified embodiment of the invention, particularly adapted for use when variations in dimensions of the articles being embossed or otherwise treated may be compensated. by rotation about one fixed horizontal axis. In this embodiment, the arrangement of platen I, clips 2, set-screws 3, platform 4, springs l and bores 8 is similar to that of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and 2A. However in place of re cesses 5 and ball 5 we employ longitudinal and transverse grooves [5, any desired one of which grooves may accommodate a rod it of cy1indrical form. The centre of the part of the work to be embossed will be arranged substantially vertically over the axis of rod 16, and appropriately disposed for enabling the platform to rock int-3 a position to bring the surface to be marked into a position parallel with respect to the die. The operation will be precisely similar to that described fo the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and A.

In some instances it may well be difficult to determine the most convenient location for the ball or rod it, as the case may be, solely by inspection. It will then be found convenient to set up the Work support with the ball or rod in a position selected by inspection, and to make one trial impression on an article. If the impression obtained is not even, the ball or rod should be moved one recess or groove towards the lighter part of the impression. Alternatively, if the article is supported in a cradle on the platform, this cradle may be moved towards the heavier part of the impression. Such procedure may be repeated if necessary until a satisfactory result is obtained.

It will be seen that a work support has thus been provided which greatly facilitates embossing or like operations on articles of a non-precision nature and/or irregular shape. Various modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention. For example. where it is only desired to allow rotation about one horizontal axis, the embodiment of Figure 2 may still be used, but by the insertion of two similar balls into appropriate recesses the rotation will be limited as desired. Similarly, in the embodiment of Fig. 3 the rod may be in two sections separated by a projection attached to platform 4, thus assisting in the limitation of sliding movement of the platform relative to the rod. When it is desired to emboss a series of precision made articles and to eliminate the rotation of the platform while effecting such embossing, it is only necessary to insert three or more balls (or two or more rods) to obtain the desired condition, while yet maintaining the platform at normal height above the platen.

It will be apreciated that the disposition of the recesses or grooves will be governed solely by the variety of articles with which it is desired to operate, or that such recesses or grooves may be omitted from either or both the platform and platen or other base member. Alternatively, either the platen or the platform could be provided with both recesses and grooves, enabling one or more balls or a rod to be used at will.

I claim:

1. A work support for presses or the like, comprising a base having a plurality of spaced recesses in its upper surface, a platform space-d above said base and having a plurality of recesses in its lower surface, said recesses in said base and platform being arranged to provide a plurality of spaced pairs of opposed recesses, and a separate rigid element removably positioned in a selected pair of opposed recesses, said element constitutinga fulcrum means suporting said platform spaced from said base for limited rocking movement relative thereto.

2. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses is in the form of a spherical zone and wherein said separate element is a sphere.

3. A support as defined in claim 1 wherein said recesses are elongated in the direction of said surfaces and wherein said separate element is a cylindrical rod.

CLAUDE ALFRED MAUNDER.

Name Date Number Weir June 15, 1880 7 Number Number 6 Name Date Fowler Jan. 23, 1883 Dewey May 3, 1892 Lippold Sept. 1, 1896 Hatch July 22, 1902 Elorenz Sept. 6, 1910 Goodnow Dec. 15, 1914 Koyama Nov. 9, 1920 Smith May 2, 1924 Mayer May 20, 1930 Carrey Nov. 11, 1930 Eaton ,Jan. 14, 1936 Belav May 28, 1946 Wood Dec. 17, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy of 1939 

